


Missing

by badly_knitted



Category: FAKE (Manga)
Genre: Angst, Children, Community: spook_me, Drama, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Family, Fluff, Gen, Horror, Monsters, Orphanage, Orphans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:55:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27211576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/badly_knitted/pseuds/badly_knitted
Summary: A little girl has mysteriously gone missing from Mother Lane’s orphanage. The police are already on the case, but nothing is going to stop Dee doing whatever he can to help.
Relationships: Dee Laytner/Randy "Ryo" MacLean
Comments: 8
Kudos: 3
Collections: Spook Me Ficathon





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for spook_me 2020, using FAKE, Evil Toys.
> 
> Set after Like Like Love.

The whole bizarre sequence of events began one morning in October with a frantic phone call from Mother, saying one of the kids in her charge had inexplicably vanished sometime during the night. She’d already contacted the commander of the local police precinct, who’d sent out detectives to question Mother’s assistants and the other children, as well as uniformed officers to conduct a search for the missing child, but Dee was family and Mother trusted him more than anyone. She wanted him there, not just for her sake but for her other charges, all of whom looked up to their ‘big brother’.

Dee couldn’t officially be part of the investigation, there was a possibility that it might constitute a conflict of interest, but wild horses weren’t going to keep him from Mother’s side, not when she was so distressed, so he and Ryo decided to take a few personal days to help out in whatever way they could.

The lead detective on the case, Bernie Cavallo of the 22nd Precinct, wasn’t particularly happy about having other detectives getting in the way of his investigation, but there was little he could do about it since Mother Lane wanted them there. Cavallo had been raised a Catholic; he could hardly go against the wishes of a nun, especially a Mother Superior, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t make his displeasure known.

“Let’s just be clear about one thing; this isn’t your investigation. You can help the lady who runs this place, but you stay outta my way. You got that?”

Dee bristled. “There’s a little kid missin’ and you’re gettin’ territorial? I don’t care whether ya want our help or not; you’re gettin’ it anyway. These kids, they’re family, they know me, and they’ll tell me things they’d never tell you, because they don’t trust you. They’ve got no reason to; you’re a stranger. All any of us want is to find the kid. Like it or not you need all the help you can get.”

Cavallo threw his hands in the air. “Fine; talk to the kids, guess I can’t stop ya, but ya don’t do it alone.”

“I’ll go with him,” Ryo volunteered. “That’ll leave you and your partner free to concentrate on the adults and follow any leads you turn up.”

That wasn’t what Cavallo had been angling for, but on the other hand he knew both detectives by reputation; they were known to be as honest as they came. He huffed out a breath. “Fine, but ya come to me with anything you find out; no followin’ leads on yer own. This is still my case. If this turns out to be an abduction or a homicide instead of a simple runaway, I’ll be the one makes the bust.”

“That’s fine with us,” Dee said stiffly. “Less paperwork that way.” With that he stalked off, heading for the dorm rooms where the younger children slept, Ryo almost having to jog to keep up with his taller partner’s long strides.

“Antagonising him isn’t going to help, Dee.”

“Tell Cavallo that. He’s the one wants to look good by solvin’ this case all by himself. Probably buckin’ for promotion. I just wanna find Miss Pigtails.”

The missing child, a four-year-old girl named Emily Sanders, had been at the orphanage for a year and a half, placed in Mother’s care after her parents were arrested while committing an armed robbery during which the storeowner was killed and several customers injured. They’d been convicted on multiple charges and would remain behind bars for quite some time, so it was unlikely they’d had anything to do with the disappearance, and since neither one had any family to speak of, that effectively ruled out another line of enquiry.

Mother had never lost a child before, not like this. There’d been a mother back in the summer who’d tried to snatch her little boy back after he’d been taken from her because of her drug habit, but that had been in broad daylight, and she’d been high as a kite at the time, ranting and raving. Her kid had run indoors and taken refuge behind Mother’s skirts while one of the Sisters had called the police to deal with the woman. As far as Dee knew, she was still in rehab, so that ruled out another potential suspect. Besides, if it had been her she would have gone after her son, not one of the girls.

Kidnapping was still a possibility though, for various unscrupulous and unsavoury reasons. Dee just didn’t like to think that someone could simply walk into Mother’s orphanage in the middle of the night and take a child right out of their bed. He’d installed the orphanage’s security system himself; only he, Mother, and the two Sisters who were her assistants had the pass code. For anyone to bypass it, break in, and make their way through the day rooms and up the stairs to the dormitories… There would have been some kind of evidence left behind, surely. At the very least, he would have expected one or more of the children to wake up and scream. Unless of course, the intruder was someone they knew and trusted, and Dee didn’t want to think that any of the live-in staff or day help would have anything to do with abducting a child. Most of them were nuns, for crying out loud!

Talking to Mother, she confirmed that little Emily had been tucked up in bed asleep when she’d checked on the children at ten o’clock the previous night before going to bed herself. When she’d gotten up at six she’d found only four little girls in the dormitory where there should have been five, and a search of the whole orphanage from attics to basement had failed to give any clue as to the missing child’s whereabouts.

It was ludicrous to think that Emily might have run away; she was a shy, quiet child, probably due to her parents’ neglect, and she found the outside world scary, too loud and busy and confusing. It was possible she was mildly autistic but that had yet to be confirmed. Nevertheless, the idea of her somehow sneaking out of the orphanage in the middle of the night, in only her nightclothes, and without setting off the alarms, was implausible at best.

Dee and Ryo talked to all the other kids, the girls who shared the dorm with Emily, the four boys in the dorm across the hall, and the nine older kids, five boys and four girls, most of whom shared double rooms. They all claimed they hadn’t heard or seen anything, and as far as Dee could tell, they weren’t lying. They seemed more bewildered than anything; the orphanage was a safe place where they were looked after and loved. For one of their number to go missing… Well, it just didn’t make sense.

After questioning the kids Dee searched the building and grounds himself, with Ryo’s help, but there was no sign of Emily, and as far as the two detectives could see, no visible clues as to what might have happened to her. It bothered Dee; more and more something didn’t feel right, but he couldn’t pin down exactly what it was, aside from the obvious. Cases involving kids always disturbed him.

When he and Ryo finally gave up for the night and headed home, they were still drawing a blank; neither they nor the official investigators on the case, Cavallo and his partner, Detective Theresa Burnett, were any closer to even coming up with the faintest hint of a potential lead. It was as though Emily had simply vanished into thin air.

And that night a second child vanished; five-year-old Josefina Sanchez, who slept in the bed next to Emily’s. Once again, she was there when Mother checked on the children before going to bed, and gone by the time she got up. As soon as Mother called them, Dee and Ryo went straight over, this time arriving before Cavallo and Burnett.

“I simply don’t understand!” Mother said, wringing her hands. “Losing one child was upsetting enough, but two… Who could be doing this?”

“It’s not your fault,” Dee said firmly. “I don’t know what’s goin’ on, but I’m gonna figure it out, no matter how long it takes, and that’s a promise. Kids don’t just vanish; they have to be somewhere.”

Mother managed a wan smile. “Thank you, Dee. You’re such a good boy. What would I do without you?”

“You’ll never haveta find out. Now, Ryo and I are gonna go have another talk with the kids. I can’t believe nobody knows anything.”

“They’re good children, Dee; if they did know anything I’m sure they’d have told you yesterday.”

“Not if they were too scared to. They might’ve been warned to keep quiet, threatened in some way,” Dee pointed out.

Ryo nodded. “Maybe there’s a way into this building that we don’t know about and all the kids are scared they’ll be taken next.”

“Besides, even if they really didn’t know anything last time we talked to them, one of ‘em might’ve heard or seen somethin’ last night.”

“You go ahead then. The girls are in the quiet room; they’re obviously shaken up, losing two of their friends so suddenly and unexpectedly.”

The quiet room was an area set aside for quiet play, where children could go to get away from the more boisterous activities of the other kids. When Dee and Ryo entered, they found the three little girls, Tammy, Julia, and Alice, huddled together in one corner of the room, looking so small and vulnerable it broke their hearts. All three were older than the two missing girls; Alice was nine, Julia seven, and little Tammy had just turned six the previous month. They seemed relieved to see Dee and Ryo.

Dee crouched down in front of them. “Hey, kiddos. How’re ya doin’?”

“We’re scared.” Alice looked up at Dee with big, brown eyes. “I don’t want to sleep in my bed tonight. I don’t wanna be taken.”

“Yeah, I can understand that, but I’m sure Mother will find somewhere else for you to sleep, somewhere you’ll be safe. You know why Ryo and me are here, right?”

Alice nodded. “You want to know if we saw or heard anything, but I didn’t know Josefina was gone until Mother woke us up this morning.”

“So none of you can tell us anything? You don’t remember anything odd, maybe a sound or a smell? The smallest thing could be a clue, even if it doesn’t seem important.”

“I had a bad dream.” Tammy’s grey eyes were wide and haunted.

“Yeah?” Dee sat down properly and pulled the little girl onto his lap. “You want to tell me what it was about?”

“Will you keep me safe if I do?”

“We’ll do our very best to.” Ryo knelt beside his partner.

“It was Mister Bear.”

“Mister Bear?”

“He’s new, he’s in our room. I dreamed he took Josie. A horrid arm came out of his tummy and it pulled Josie inside. She tried to scream but she couldn’t make a sound, couldn’t even move. She looked so scared and I wanted to help her but I couldn’t move either, and then I woke up and it was morning, and Josie was gone.”

“Don’t worry, sweetheart; we’ll make sure Mister Bear doesn’t get you, that’s a promise.” Dee hugged the little girl tightly then set he down and stood up. “Now, you kids stay right here; me and my partner need to have a word with Mother and then we’ll go talk to Mister Bear, see what he has to say for himself.”

Outside the quiet room, Ryo turned to Dee. “You’re not serious about questioning a stuffed bear are you? Tammy just had a nightmare; probably when she woke up to find Josefina had been taken she incorporated her missing friend into the dream. You know how kids are.” Josie and Tammy were best friends and practically inseparable.

“All I know is there’s somethin’ weird goin’ on here and this is the first thing remotely like a lead we’ve had.”

“Dee, stuffed toys don’t come to life and pull people inside them.”

“Believe what you want, but I’ve seen some weird shit so I’m not gonna discount the possibility without at least checkin’ it out. Some perfectly ordinary objects are just plain evil; I’ve read about ‘em. Possessed or somethin’.”

“You’re clutching at straws. You just don’t want to think that the kids have been abducted, maybe killed, possibly by someone who works here.”

“Damn straight I don’t wanna believe that. Do you?”

“No, of course not, but there has to be a more logical explanation than a carnivorous toy bear, doesn’t there?” Ryo demanded, exasperated.

“Tammy didn’t say the bear ate Josie, just that she was dragged inside it, maybe through some kind of portal into another dimension. And don’t give me that look, like ya think I’m crazy or somethin’!”

Ryo deflated; arguing wouldn’t get them anywhere. “Sorry, but as theories go, you have to admit it’s a bit out there.”

Dee didn’t want to fight either; he sighed heavily. “Yeah, I know, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s wrong. Look, I know you don’t believe in the supernatural the way I do; all I’m askin’ is that you try to keep an open mind. Can ya do that for me?”

“I’ll try, it’s just, stuffed toys aren’t exactly scary are they?”

“Depends on the toy. You ever see Child’s Play?”

“Chucky was a doll, not a soft toy.”

“Same difference. C’mon, let’s see what Mother can tell us about this Mister Bear. Tammy said he’s new so I’d like to know where he came from. Might be a clue there.”

“Like whoever left the toy here might be the kidnapper?”

Dee shrugged. “Or something.”

Mother was sitting at the kitchen table nursing a cup of tea when they entered. From the other empty cups still on the table it looked as though Detectives Cavallo and Burnett had arrived and already been by to talk to her, although where they were now was anybody’s guess. Maybe they’d gone upstairs to look at the scene of the crime again, or maybe they were in the orphanage’s small office interviewing the other staff.

The elderly nun looked up, her plump face creased with strain. “Did you find out anything?”

“Not sure yet.” Dee swung one of the kitchen chairs around and straddled it, folding his arms along the back and resting his chin on them. “Tammy had what might or might not have been a nightmare.”

“A nightmare?”

“It’s possible she woke up and saw something but dismissed it as a bad dream, although what she told Dee and what she actually saw might not be the same thing,” Ryo added, clearing the used cups off the table and putting the kettle on to make mugs of instant coffee for himself and Dee. They’d been in such a rush after getting Mother’s call that they’d skipped breakfast completely.

Mother looked up at him, puzzled. “You’ve lost me, dear. What do you mean?”

“She said one of the toys, a new one she called Mister Bear, took Josefina. That an arm came out of the bear and pulled her inside,” Dee explained.

“I was thinking maybe a woman in a fur coat…” Ryo trailed off at Dee’s incredulous look. “It’s possible, isn’t it?”

Dee sighed. “It’s one explanation, I guess.”

“But you still think it really was the bear.”

“I don’t know!” Dee ran a hand agitatedly through his hair. “But I don’t think we should dismiss the idea just ‘cause it sounds crazy.” He turned to Mother. “D’you know which bear Tammy was talkin’ about?”

Mother nodded slowly, a troubled expression on her face. “I think so. It’s in the girls’ dormitory.”

“I figured as much. Could you show us?”

“Of course, as soon as you two have finished your coffee and had a bite to eat. I doubt you had time for breakfast this morning.” 

“Wasn’t really hungry,” Dee said.

“Nonsense. You boys need to keep your strength up.” With that, Mother got to her feet and began bustling around the kitchen. Dee let her, knowing it would make her feel better, a little more in control in the midst of all the uncertainty, to be doing something normal.

While she scrambled eggs and made toast, Ryo and Dee took the opportunity to ask a few questions.

“How long has this Mister Bear been here?”

“Oh, just over a week, I think.”

“Where’d he come from? Gift? Donation?”

“We had a toy drive recently; we do that once or twice a year, people donating old, unwanted toys for the children: Dolls, games, books, puzzles, and several bags of stuffed animals. Those all had to be washed before the children could have them though.”

“And then what?” Unlike Dee, Ryo hadn’t grown up here. “They just get handed out to the kids? Everyone gets something?”

“Usually we share them out, put some in the girls’ dormitory and some in the boys’. The older children will sometimes pick one or two things, but they leave most of the stuffed animals for the little ones. Dee, sit properly dear.”

“Yes Mother.” Dee got to his feet and turned his chair around, sitting down at the table as Mother bustled over and set plates in front of him and Ryo, urging them to eat.

“Thank you, Mother. This Mister Bear, he was among the ones donated this time?” Ryo asked between mouthfuls.

Mother returned to her seat, folding her hands in her lap. “Well now, I suppose it must have been, but it’s odd; I don’t remember seeing it when I was sorting through the donated toys. Perhaps it was in a bag I missed, part of a late delivery. You know how busy things can get around here.”

That was putting it mildly; the orphanage was often in a state of barely organised chaos.

Dee ate silently for several minutes, a frown creasing his forehead as he considered what they’d just been told. Finally he sat up straighter and looked Mother in the eye.

“So you can’t say with any certainty exactly when this toy bear showed up, or where it might have come from?”

“I suppose not, but it wasn’t here before the toy drive and now it is; if it wasn’t among the donated toys then how else could it have come to be here?”

“That’s what I’d like to know,” Dee said quietly, his frown deepening.

“Teddy bears don’t just pop up out of nowhere, or walk in under their own steam, Dee.” Ryo was trying to keep a level head but despite the fact that he’d always been a sceptic when it came to the supernatural or paranormal he was starting to get a bit creeped out by Dee’s insinuation that Mister Bear might be something other than an ordinary soft toy.

“Never said they did.” Dee smiled across at his partner but his eyes were troubled. Turning his attention back to the plate in front of him, he finished his breakfast, scraping the plate clean, and stood up. “Okay, let’s go take a look at this mysterious bear, see if there’s any reason it would give Tammy nightmares.”

Ryo drained his coffee mug and stood too. “We’ll take care of the dishes for you when we’re done upstairs, Mother.”

Dee raised an eyebrow. “We will?”

“It’s the least we can do.”

“You’re good boys.” Mother smiled tiredly. “Thank you.”

“It’s a little soon for thanks; we’ve still got two missin’ kids and no idea where to start lookin’ for them.” Dee led the way out of the kitchen and up the stairs, glancing into the main lounge area as they passed, where most of the other kids sat in groups, oddly subdued.

“This is affecting all of them,” Mother murmured, following his gaze. “They’re all afraid they’ll be next. I can’t help wondering if they’ll ever be able to feel safe here again. They’re so young, and they’ve been through so much already.”

Dee looked down at the woman who’d raised him from a baby, the only mother he’d ever known. “Best thing we can do for them is solve the case and get their friends back.”

“And if you can’t?”

“We’ll cross that bridge if and when we have to. Right now we’re spinnin’ our wheels so let’s just try to find us a lead we can follow, okay?”

TBC in Part 2


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something mysterious is going on, children don’t simply vanish without a trace, but surely a stuffed bear, no matter how old and ugly, can’t have anything to do with it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written For: spook_me 2020, using FAKE, Evil Toys.
> 
> Set after Like Like Love.

The girls’ dormitory looked so completely normal in daylight, cheerfully decorated in pinks and purples courtesy of Dee and some friends. It contained eight beds, four along each side, only five of which were in use at present, or had been before the two children had gone missing. Each bed had a stuffed toy on it, and a cabinet beside it for the occupants’ personal belongings, plus a small chest at the end for clothes. There were wardrobes at the far end of the room, either side of the door to the bathroom, and an area with bookshelves, chairs, and an assortment of toys that were communal property. That was where Mother led the two detectives, pointing to the occupant of one of the chairs, a dark brown teddy bear maybe eighteen or twenty inches tall. It was hard to accurately judge since the bear was seated with its legs sticking out.

“I believe that’s Mister Bear.”

Looking at the stuffed toy Dee felt his skin crawl, there was just something off about it, although he couldn’t have said what. It sat there, with its button eyes, bowtie, and inane sewn-on smile, a seemingly ordinary teddy, and yet it felt… wrong somehow. Not wanting to be laughed at he kept his thoughts to himself.

“Looks old,” Ryo said coming up beside him and studying the bear. “And the fur fabric, or whatever it’s made from, is weird.”

“Yeah, I thought it looked a bit odd.” The fur seemed longish and straight, not fluffy or fuzzy but somehow slicked down. It radiated out from around the bear’s snout, or perhaps inwards with the ends trapped, and the snout itself looked a bit like dark brown suede. Maybe that was why it looked wrong. There was a very noticeable seam running right down the bear’s front, from under the bowtie to between the toy’s legs, and there was probably a matching seam up the back, but Dee couldn’t bring himself to touch the bear to find out. Although the fur looked dry, he couldn’t shake the feeling that it would be greasy. 

He noticed neither Mother nor Ryo made any move to pick it up either. In fact, Ryo had his hands jammed in his pockets.

“It’s sort of ugly. I can see how it might cause nightmares in an impressionable child, especially with everything that’s been happening here the last couple of days.” Ryo glanced briefly at Dee. “Are you going to interrogate it now?”

That drew a scornful snort from Dee. “Funny. Okay, we came, we saw…” He tore his gaze away from Mister Bear. “Let’s go back downstairs and take care of those dishes. I’ll wash.” Maybe immersing his hands in hot, soapy water would make him feel clean again. He hadn’t touched the toy but just being this close to it made him feel somehow contaminated.

“You want to wash dishes? That makes a change,” Ryo teased.

“Yeah, well I’m feelin’ generous today.” Dee shooed Mother and his partner out of the room, following them and closing the door firmly behind him. He wished he could lock it, but none of the childrens’ rooms had locks. He didn’t speak again until he and Ryo were back in the kitchen, running the water for the dishes. They were alone now; Mother had gone into the lounge to be with the children.

“You can laugh at me if ya want,” he murmured to his lover, who was standing beside him, ready with the dishtowel, “but I don’t like that bear.”

Ryo sighed heavily. “That’s a relief. I thought it was just me, my imagination working overtime, maybe because of what we were talking about earlier.”

Dee looked at him, surprised. “You felt it too?”

“Not too sure what you mean by ‘it’, but I wouldn’t have wanted to be alone with that thing. I think we should get rid of it, throw it on a bonfire or something.”

It was a tempting idea, but…

“No,” Dee said firmly. “We can’t. Not yet.”

“Why not? It’s an ugly, creepy old toy. The kids have got far nicer ones and it’s not like they’re attached to it. They’d probably sleep a whole lot better with it gone.”

“Yeah, probably, but what if there was some truth to Tammy’s nightmare? What if Mister Bear really does have something to do with the kids goin’ missin’?”

“How? I know it creeped me out, but it’s still just a stuffed toy.” Ryo gnawed on his bottom lip as he set the plate he’d just dried down on the counter top. “Isn’t it?”

“I don’t know. I mean…” Dee shook his head. “I don’t know what I mean, I just have a feelin’ gettin’ rid of it right now might be a bad move.”

Ryo laid a soothing hand on his lover’s arm.

“Okay, we’ll hold off on that for the moment. So what d’you want to do?”

Dee shuddered. “I can’t believe I’m sayin’ this, but I’m gonna spend the night in that room. I’ll slip inside after Mother goes to bed, lie on the floor outta sight, and see what, if anything, happens.”

“Aright, then I’ll join you.”

“No.” Dee turned to meet Ryo’s eyes. “I want you across the hall in the boys’ dorm. If that frickin’ bear isn’t behind the abductions, there’s a chance whoever’s takin’ kids might strike there next. Soon as we’re done here I’ll go shoppin’, pick us up a couple walkie-talkies so we can keep in touch.”

“Why not just use our police radios?”

“Oh, sure, because havin’ dispatch overhearin’ us talkin’ about malevolent teddy bears is just what we need. That would go down real well at our next psych evaluations.”

Ryo grimaced. “I see your point.”

“Thought ya might.”

“So you’ll be on bear watch, and I’ll keep an eye on the boys. Are you going to tell Mother about your plans?”

“No way. I’ll tell her we’re stayin’ over, that we’ll stay awake and keep an eye on things, but right now that’s all she needs to know. She’s got enough on her mind. We’re not tellin’ Cavallo and Burnett either.”

“Agreed. They can work the investigation their way while we try a different approach. Very different.”

“Thanks, babe.”

“What for?” Ryo gave Dee a puzzled look.

“Goin’ along with your crazy partner.”

“You’re not crazy, Dee. Or maybe we both are.” A wry smile curved Ryo’s lips. “But we’re partners, and a whole lot more. Doesn’t matter what I do or don’t believe, I’ve got your back, always, no matter what.”

“Likewise.”

“Good to know. What about the other three girls though?”

“What about ‘em?”

“Alice said she didn’t want to sleep in her bed tonight, and I think it’s probably best if the other two don’t either, just to be safe.”

“Yeah, you’re right. They can maybe sleep in the boys’ dorm tonight; I think there’s enough spare beds, and you’ll be there to protect ‘em.”

“No.”

The two detectives spun around, startled; they hadn’t heard anyone come in, they’d thought they were still alone in the kitchen, but Tammy stood by the table, serious grey eyes watching them.

“What d’you mean ‘no’, honey?” Dee asked, drying his hands and stooping to pick the child up, settling her on his hip. She was getting a bit too big for that, but with everything that was going on it just felt right to lift her up to his level

“Mister Bear took Josie. She’s my friend and I wanna help get her back.”

“Tammy…”

“No!” she said again. “If the beds are all empty, if there are no little girls to take, Mister Bear will just be an ugly old bear. Alice might be too scared to sleep in her own bed, but I’m not.” She looked beseechingly at Dee. “I can be brave if you’re there. Please, Dee!”

“I hate to say this,” Ryo murmured, “but maybe she’s right. We might only get one chance at… whatever it is we’re trying to do. It there’s nothing to entice Mister Bear into action…” He winced, fully aware of how insane his words sounded. “I can’t believe I just said that,” he muttered under his breath.

“Are you outta your mind? You’re talkin’ about usin’ a little kid as bait!” Dee sounded appalled at the very idea.

Ryo stood his ground. “I don’t like it any more than you do, Dee, but nobody’s forcing her, she’s volunteering, and you’ll be there to protect her.”

Dee let his breath out in a long sigh, taking his brief surge of anger with it; he knew Ryo was right. He focused instead on the child in his arms. “You sure about this, kiddo?”

“Yes.” Tammy’s bottom lip jutted out, determined; she’d always had a stubborn streak.

“Just so ya know, if ya change your mind later, that’s okay, understand? Just ‘cause you’ve said you wanna help doesn’t mean you have to, no one’s gonna get mad at ya if you find you can’t go through with it, ‘kay?”

“Okay, but I’m not gonna change my mind. Josie needs me. Emily too.”

Hugging the little girl tight, Dee kissed the top of her head. “Josie’s lucky to have such a good friend. Listen, Ryo and me are gonna take a nap this afternoon so we’ll be wide awake tonight when we need to be. You should maybe do the same, then later, when ya go to bed, just pretend to be asleep. You’ll need to shut your eyes and keep very still, but I’ll be nearby, keepin’ watch.”

Tammy nodded. “I can do that.”

“You wanna come shoppin’ with me? I’ve gotta pick up some stuff for tonight and I could use the company. Maybe we could sneak an ice-cream without Mother knowin’.” 

That got a giggle and another nod from Tammy. “Strawberry?”

“Whatever you want.”

“I’ll hold the fort here while you’re gone, and I’ll talk to Mother about Alice and Julia sleeping in the boys’ dorm tonight. I can help her make up the beds.”

“Thanks, babe.” Setting Tammy down and telling her to get her coat, Dee pulled Ryo close, kissing him. “Be careful while I’m gone.”

“I will, but nothing’s likely to happen until tonight; we’ll all be fine.”

“I know, just can’t help worryin’. Love you.”

“Love you too, Dee. Whatever’s going on, we’ll figure it out. Somehow.”

“I hope you’re right.” Dee reluctantly released his lover as Tammy came back into the kitchen, trying to put her coat on without putting her little shopping bag down. “Okay, gotta go. We shouldn’t be gone long, couple of hours, tops. Be back in time for a late lunch.” Mother usually ran a tight ship but everything had been thrown off schedule by the disappearances.

As Dee headed out to his car, Tammy holding his hand, Ryo went in search of Mother to discuss the change in sleeping arrangements.

OoOoOoO

As expected, Mother agreed it would be best for the girls to bunk in the boys’ dorm for a few nights, just until it was safe for them to return to their own beds. She was also relieved to know Dee and Ryo would be on guard duty overnight.

“That takes a weight off these old shoulders,” she admitted when Ryo explained that he’d be inside the boys’ dorm while Dee kept an eye on things elsewhere. He didn’t like lying to Mother, but technically it wasn’t a lie, he just wasn’t telling her exactly where Dee would be, or what he’d specifically be keeping an eye on.

Mother fetched clean sheets and pillowcases from the linen cupboard and the two of them went to make up the spare beds, with Ryo wondering all the time whether he should tell Mother they’d only need two beds and not three, although maybe it would be best to make up all three anyway, just in case Tammy changed her mind. They worked in silence for a while before Mother finally spoke.

“What is it you’re not telling me?” 

Ryo’s head shot up. “What? Nothing!”

The elderly nun chuckled. “I’ve been raising children for more than thirty-five years, my boy. I know when someone is being very careful to avoid telling me something. Out with it now; you know I’ll find out in the end.”

That was true; few things got past Mother Lane. Nevertheless…

“I’m not sure it’s my place to tell you; Dee didn’t want to worry you any more than you already are.”

Sitting on the edge of the bed they’d just made up, Mother patted the mattress beside her. “Sit.”

Refusing would have been rude, so Ryo sat, head bowed, hands clasped together to keep from tearing his hair out.

“Now.” Mother rested a work-worn hand on his arm. “Talk to me. I know Dee means well, but if this involves the children, I deserve to know. I am their legal guardian.”

“You’ll think it’s crazy. I think it’s crazy, but Dee…” Ryo shook his head helplessly. “Dee believes in things that I never have, the supernatural, ghosts and monsters, because he claims to have seen them, and I want to believe him, but I don’t know if I do, and now…” He trailed off, biting his lip.

“Now?”

“Tammy’s nightmare about Mister Bear. She’s convinced that old teddy bear has something to do with Emily and Josie vanishing, and Dee maybe believes it too, or at least he’s willing to entertain the possibility. He intends to spend the night in the girls’ dorm and keep an eye on the bear, see what, if anything, happens. It’s crazy, but he’s my partner and my lover, I have to back him up and anyway, that bear gives me the creeps. If it wasn’t a nightmare, if what Tammy saw was real and Mister Bear is something other than just a stuffed toy… Mother, can things, inanimate objects, be evil?”

Mother nodded slowly. “Yes, I believe they can. If some objects can be holy, blessed, then the opposite must also be true. Like Dee I’ve seen things that I have no explanation for, things that could perhaps be termed ‘ghosts’ or ‘spirits’. If Dee feels there might be some truth to Tammy’s supposed nightmare, well, he must do what he thinks best. I trust his judgment.”

“Me too, mostly. I know he just doesn’t want to ignore any possibility, no matter how unlikely.” Ryo turned to Mother. “But Tammy wants to help. She thinks if there aren’t any children to take then nothing will happen, so she intends to sleep in her own bed. It could be dangerous.”

“We can’t be sure anywhere in this building is completely safe right now, dear. If Dee is there to watch over her then Tammy will be safer than she was last night, safer than Emily and Josefina were.”

“I guess. Dee and I will be in contact via radio, so I can be there in moments if he needs help with… anything.”

“That’s good. I’ll feel so much better with you both here, and I know you’ll do your best to protect the rest of the children. Now, why don’t we finish making up these beds, just in case they’re needed?”

“Yes, Mother.”

“And then perhaps you’d help me make lunch.”

Ryo nodded. “Of course.” Keeping busy would distract him from thinking about the night to come.

TBC in Part 3


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Night is coming; can Dee and Ryo solve the mystery of the missing children before another one is snatched from her bed?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written For: spook_me 2020, using FAKE, Evil Toys.
> 
> Set after Like Like Love.

The rest of the day passed far faster than the two detectives would have liked. Dee and Tammy arrived back just in time for lunch, bringing with them the radios, along with plenty of spare batteries, a few other electronic bits and pieces Dee thought might come in handy, and enough ice-cream for everyone. Mother had decided to have a sort of indoor picnic, hoping it might help to lift the children’s spirits, so everyone gathered in the living room, most of them sitting on the floor, and one of the Sisters put an animated movie on the TV as an added distraction from the stress everyone was feeling. If some of the children had less of an appetite than usual, no one mentioned it, and at least the ice-cream was greeted with enthusiasm.

After helping with the lunch dishes, Dee and Ryo stretched out together on the living room sofa while the kids were sent outside to play, except for Tammy, who curled up in one of the big armchairs with the squashy plush wolf Dee had bought her for protection from Mister Bear. They were woken several hours later as the kids came running back indoors; the sun was going down and soon it would be dark.

Dinner was a subdued affair, seated around the big table in the dining room, and afterwards Mother and her helpers did their best to distract their charges with board games, puzzles, and stories, but all too soon it was time for bed. By nine o’clock, even the oldest children had gone to their rooms. 

Ryo had helped Mother get the four youngest boys and their temporary dorm mates, Alice and Julia, settled before taking up his post on a chair just inside the room, within easy reach of the light switch. There were two small nightlights further down the room, giving off a soft illumination so he could see all the kids tucked safely in their beds; he only hoped they’d stay that way.

Across the hall, Dee tucked Tammy into bed with Growler the wolf, and kissed her goodnight, turning on her nightlight, and another towards the far end of the dorm, which Mother had told him was always left on at night so the kids could find their way to the bathroom. He figured it was important to keep everything as normal as possible and he forced himself not to so much as glance in Mister Bear’s direction, just in case it might be watching him. 

Leaving the dorm, he closed the door but remained right outside, watching the interior of the room on the screen of a borrowed laptop via four little spy cameras he’d set up earlier in strategic positions around the dorm. Picture quality wasn’t the best, especially given the dim lighting, but it was good enough that he should be able to detect any movement.

At ten o’clock, Mother made her final rounds, checking the downstairs doors and windows were all closed and locked, and activating the alarm system. Satisfied that everywhere was as secure as possible, she made her way upstairs, looking in on the occupants of the two dormitories, and the older children in their rooms, before making her way to her room at the far end of the hall. When she opened the door to the girl’s dorm, Dee slipped silently inside, keeping low, and settled himself on the floor in the shadows behind the nearest bed, radio in hand and the laptop on the floor beside him. All that was left was to wait.

If the afternoon had flown past, time now seemed to drag, creeping forwards with the same sort of lethargic indifference as a sloth crossing a road. Tammy, despite her earlier nap, appeared to be asleep, but Dee, well used to stakeouts, was wide-awake. He pulled out his pocketknife and checked the blade, making sure it was good and sharp, just in case he needed it. For obvious reasons he didn’t have his gun with him; the last thing he wanted was to be involved in a shootout around the kids, and anyway, he wasn’t at all sure bullets would have any effect against a malevolent stuffed toy; it wasn’t like Mister Bear had a heart, or a brain, or anything like that. A knife, on the other hand, would probably do considerable damage, ripping the ugly old thing open at the seams.

“Everything okay?” Ryo’s voice murmured in his ear.

Dee raised the radio to his lips. “All quiet so far,” he whispered, knowing Ryo would hear him clearly enough through the small earpiece that came with the radios he’d chosen. “You?”

“All good.”

They were keeping communication to a minimum, checking in with each other every fifteen minutes but otherwise maintaining radio silence. The stillness felt almost suffocating, like a heavy weight pressing down on him, but Dee knew how to deal with that. He kept his breathing slow and steady, focused on the laptop screen, and willed himself to relax. If anything happened he’d be ready, but nothing would be served by freaking himself out for no good reason. He couldn’t afford to start jumping at shadows.

The seconds ticked by and gradually tension melted into boredom; watching paint dry would have been more entertaining. Ten thirty became eleven o’clock, eleven thirty, eleven forty-five, midnight, a quarter past twelve, twenty past… 

Dee blinked as he caught what he thought might be the faintest flicker of something on the laptop screen. Was that movement down the far end of the dorm? It was hard to tell, the nightlights weren’t very bright. He waited, alert, pulse starting to speed up. There it was again, the same faint flicker in the dimness. Could it be shadows from the tree branches outside moving in the wind? It seemed unlikely, since the curtains were closed and there weren’t any trees that close.

“Might have movement here,” he murmured into his radio. “Be ready.”

“Standing by.” Ryo’s whisper in Dee’s ear was reassuring; his partner was just a few yards away across the hall and could be with him in seconds if necessary.

Focused intently on the screen, Dee saw more movement, and then a shadow separating from the deeper darkness in the farthest corner of the room, where the toys were. He held his breath as a figure stalked slowly, jerkily, around the end of last bed in the row, the bed that had been Emily’s before she’d been taken.

It was grotesque. In daylight, on a kid’s TV show it might possibly have been funny, but in the faint illumination emanating from the nightlights, it had a nightmarish quality, not helped by the fact that the frickin’ thing was so damned ugly anyway. Mister Bear’s movements were stiff and awkward; it had no joints in its legs except right at the top, and no feet to speak of, so it rocked from side to side, swivelling slightly to move one leg forward a few inches, then the other… Its arms stuck out at the sides, and its lifeless face stared straight ahead, yet it was walking on its blunt, stumpy legs, making its way slowly along the aisle between the two rows of beds, past Emily’s, now level with Josefina’s, and moving steadily towards Tammy, who was lying on her right side, her eyes closed, facing towards Dee, her back to the advancing teddy bear, if it even was a bear in the strictest sense.

“Dee? What’s happening?” The low voice in his ear broke Dee out of his trance.

“It’s walkin’!” he hissed. “It’s a stuffed toy bear, but so help me Ryo, the frickin’ thing’s walkin’, like it’s alive only it’s not!”

“I’m right outside the door.” Ryo’s voice was tight.

“Good. Stay there until I tell ya to move, then I want you in here, grab Tammy, and get her out. Got that?”

“Got it.”

The whole exchange was conducted in barely audible whispers, and still the bear kept walking, unhurried, staring fixedly ahead. Could it see? Could it hear? There was no way for Dee to know.

Mister Bear turned, swivelling on one foot, to move between the beds, closing in on Tammy’s sleeping form. It seemed taller than it had when it was sitting on the chair, as tall as a small child, maybe two, two and a half feet or more, like it was somehow growing, and then it stopped, facing Tammy in her bed, and its front started to bulge. Dee stared at the laptop screen in horrified fascination as the seam down the bear’s belly began to stretch open, the stitches pulling apart, and a weirdly unformed arm began to emerge, flesh colored but looking somehow scaly, the fingers short, stubby and without joints. The arm grew longer, reaching for Tammy; that was all Dee had been waiting for and he moved, yelling “Now!” as he dropped his radio and raced down the dorm towards the impossible thing that was attempting to steal another child.

Behind him he heard the door burst open, the sound of running footsteps approaching, but he didn’t look back. Tammy’s eyes were open now, full of fear, her mouth wide in a soundless scream, but she seemed unable to move and a split second later Dee understood why; as he reached the end of her bed the air seemed to thicken and he slowed right down. It was like trying to wade through treacle. He could breathe, and see, and hear, but it was getting increasingly difficult to move.

Out of the corner of his eye Dee could see Ryo was there, dark eyes wide with horrified disbelief as he grabbed for the child, gripping her by both arms and pulling her towards him, like he was taking part in a bizarre tug of war against an invisible opponent. With a peculiar sucking sound the thick air suddenly gave way, releasing Tammy from its grip, and Ryo tumbled backwards onto the bed behind him, the little girl safely in his arms. Rolling across the bed and onto his feet on the other side, he raced towards the open door where Mother stood, a shocked expression on her face. Thrusting his burden into her arms, he slammed the door and turned back to help his lover.

About the time Ryo had snatched Tammy from her bed, Dee had managed to force his way through the congealing air, close enough to grab the malformed arm by the wrist, his big hand closing around the deceptively fragile seeming flesh as his adult weight hit the bear’s body, knocking it over, momentum carrying him with it to the floor. Mister Bear lay on its back, dull button eyes blank, but its stumpy legs and arms twitching with a life it shouldn’t possess as it made futile attempts to right itself.

The arm was far stronger than it looked, and tough as a steel cable. It was trying to retract back inside the bear’s body and Dee struggled to prevent it from doing so. Whatever this thing was, he couldn’t let it get away; it had taken two innocent little girls and he wanted them back.

Ryo battled his way through the glutinous air to his lover’s side, then past Dee, sinking down to pin Mister Bear to the floor, his knees pressing into the spongy substance of the toy’s shoulders. He shuddered at the oily dampness seeping into the legs of his pants, gritting his teeth and pressing down harder.

Dee looked up at him, forcing the words out with a superhuman effort. “Grab my belt; I’m goin’ in!”

“What? No, Dee! You can’t!” Although it should have been a shout, Ryo’s words were barely audible, the thick air seeming to muffle sound.

“No choice, babe; gotta find the kids!”

Closing his eyes for a moment, Ryo nodded, understanding; this was something Dee had to do.

“Be careful.”

“Always.”

Dee gave up trying to restrain the arm and it jerked back, retracting through the split in the bear’s belly, Dee’s arms going with it, followed by his head and shoulders, as Ryo grabbed the back of his partner’s belt with both hands. He was in an awkward position and felt as though any second his arms might be pulled right out of their sockets, but he held on with grim determination. He could no longer tell whether this was real or merely some fantastical nightmare or fever dream, but either way he knew he couldn’t risk losing Dee; no matter what it took he’d keep holding on until Dee came back out, or else he’d die trying.

Closing his eyes, he prayed.

TBC in Part 4


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dee is determined to find the missing children and bring them safely home, no matter what it takes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written For: spook_me 2020, using FAKE, Evil Toys.
> 
> Set after Like Like Love.
> 
> Here it is, the final chapter apparently NOBODY has been waiting for. Sometimes I wonder why I bother making the effort to post.

It was disgustingly damp, cold, and sticky inside the bear, or perhaps more accurately in the world that was reached through it, since wherever this place was it couldn’t possibly fit inside a toy bear. Hell, Dee himself shouldn’t even fit through the split in the bear’s middle and yet somehow he did. 

His surroundings were dark and gloomy, partly obscured by drifting clouds of foul vapour; this was a place full of constantly moving shadows, only visible at all because the walls of the cavern he found himself in were smeared with putrid patches of phosphorescent slime, which were giving off an unhealthy greenish radiance. 

Dee strained his eyes in the eerie, mist-shrouded dimness, noting with some alarm that his upper body seemed to be emerging from the slick, slimy surface of a seamless rock wall. He had a horrible feeling if he let himself be dragged all the way in he’d never get out again; the rock would solidify and he’d be trapped here forever, just like anyone else who’d gotten pulled in here against their will. 

Turning his attention to the long, thin arm, which he was still clutching tightly with both hands, he followed it with his eyes to the body it was attached to, a mass of waxy, undulating flesh like a gigantic, loathsome maggot the size of a school bus. The thing was writhing desperately as it tried to pull itself free of him but he didn’t dare let go of it, tightening his grip instead, because if it was responsible for creating the portal between home and wherever this was then it might well be the only thing keeping it open.

Tearing his eyes away from the gross, disgusting grub, Dee peered deeper into the shadows, trying to make out what else might be lurking there. 

“Josefina!” he shouted. “Emily!” Were the kids even still within earshot or had the thing attached to the arm taken them somewhere else? Had it eaten them? Was that why it was abducting children, as a food source? That didn’t bear thinking about; they had to still be alive or all of this was for nothing! 

Staring around frantically, he could vaguely make out something pale huddling against the base of a wall some distance away to the left. Was it another grub or something else? It was small, and unmoving. His heart leapt; could it be one of the children?

“Josie? Miss Pigtails?” That was his nickname for Emily. “Where are ya?”

The pale lump against the wall stirred, what looked like a small foot poking out from under what could be a nightgown. A head lifted and turned, face blurry, pale and ghostly in the gloom.

“Dee?” The voice was small, but recognisable; it was Josefina.

“Yeah, kiddo, it’s me. I’ve come to take ya home. D’ya know where Emmy is?”

Josie shifted, revealing Emily huddled against her, and between them, another little girl, skin and bone dressed in ragged pink PJs with a pattern of ducks all over them.

That was unexpected; special offer, today only, three for the price of two! Dee swallowed back hysterical laughter before it could break free. He wanted out of here now, if not sooner; yesterday would be good. He took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself then wished he hadn’t; the air tasted rank.

“Okay, kids, I’m kinda holdin’ the door open here so I’m gonna need ya to come to me. Can ya do that?”

Biting her lip, Josie glanced fearfully at the grub.

“Don’t be scared, honey, ol’ lumpy there’s a bit tied up right now, I’m not lettin’ it get away from me. Just keep close to the wall, ‘kay?”

Josie nodded, but it was Emily who moved first, tugging the third little girl with her, eyes fixed on Dee as she sidled along by the wall. Josefina followed the other two, shrinking back from the flailing bulk of the monster that had abducted them, clearly not wanting any part of it to touch her. Dee couldn’t blame her, just the sight of it made his skin crawl; it he hadn’t felt he needed to keep hold of the arm he’d have let go of it long ago. He wasn’t sure his hands would ever be clean again; there wasn’t enough soap and hot water in the universe. He was going to need a very long, very hot shower after this, preferably with Ryo scrubbing his back.

As the three kids came within reach, Dee realised he had no idea what to do next. He only had two hands and both were currently occupied. He thought fast; one thing being a cop taught was how to think on your feet, or in any other position you found yourself in. 

He spared a brief thought for Ryo on the other side of the portal, hoping his partner could keep holding on to him long enough to help get him and the kids back out. Fortunately, despite its bulk, their combined strength seemed to be more than the grub could overcome. Probably a big part of the reason it took kids instead of targeting adults was that they didn’t have the strength to fight back. He smiled reassuringly at the three small girls as a brilliant idea came to him. At least, he hoped it was brilliant and wouldn’t turn out to be a monumental mistake. Letting go of the ‘arm’ with one hand, he dug out his pocketknife and opened the blade with his teeth.

“Okay, I need you three to get hold of me and each other, and hang on tight as ya can. Got a feelin’ we’ll be headin’ outta here pretty fast. Grab my arms.”

The girls did as they were told, Emily and her new little friend clinging to his left arm, Josie on his right. The girls’ skin was cold and clammy, not surprising in this world of damp and chill. It was doubtful they’d have survived for very long here, even huddling together to conserve what little body heat they had; Dee had only been here a matter of minutes and already the chill was seeping into his bones, numbing him from the inside out.

“Hold on tight, kiddos; if this works we’re goin’ home!” With that, Dee slashed at the pale, scaly arm with his knife, opening a deep, bloodless gash, then kept hacking at it again and again as the grub thrashed harder than ever, until the pale, boneless flesh finally parted. It was like cutting through taut elastic; with the final slice Dee shot backwards through what should have been solid rock, dragging the kids with him. He was still gripping part of the arm with its now limp hand, hoping it would be enough to prevent the portal from closing until they were out otherwise it was gonna be a messy and very unpleasant death for all of them.

The warm air of the dorm room came as quite a shock as Dee emerged into it, but it was a welcome one, familiar and comforting, like a hug. As he struggled to reorient himself he caught a brief glimpse of Ryo’s face, flushed with effort, but that was all he could spare for his partner; he and the kids weren’t quite out of the woods yet and he crawled backwards on his knees as best he could, pulling with all his strength.

Ryo, having already released his death grip on Dee’s belt, clutched with cramped, aching fingers at the first small arms that emerged, doing what he could to help Dee pull the children back through the portal while still pinning Mister Bear down; Josefina came first, then Emily, then a third, unfamiliar child, frail and trembling. Gathering them all into his arms, Ryo fell back against Josefina’s bed as Dee dropped the severed hand he was still clutching into the portal, which snapped out of existence with an audible pop. 

There was one final thing needing done, and with savage intensity Dee took his pocketknife to Mister Bear, ripping and shredding the greasy fabric, tearing out clumps of dirty straw stuffing and damp sawdust until the ugly thing was nothing but tatters and whatever spark of life it may once have had was gone.

One button eye fell to the floor, rolling over beside Ryo’s foot, and he nudged it away with the toe of his sneaker.

“Now can we get rid of it?” he asked as Dee slumped onto his ass, breathing hard, looking dazed and shaken.

“Uh huh,” Dee said, nodding. “I’m pretty much gonna insist on it, just shove all the bits in the bin, take it outside, and burn the hell outta the damned thing.” Trying not to touch anything he awkwardly got to his knees. “But first I really gotta wash my hands.” He rose shakily to his feet. “Are the kids okay?”

“As okay as they can be after everything they’ve been through, I guess,” Ryo said. “They’ll need warm baths, a hot drink, and something to eat.” He looked down at the three small bodies snuggled against him. “Where’d you find the extra one?”

“I didn’t, she was with Emily and Josie so I guess they found her. Looks like she might’a been there a while. God knows how she survived; that place was… not good.” There was a haunted look in Dee’s eyes.

“What’s your name, sweetheart?” Ryo looked at the little girl, huddled in his lap, shivering. She couldn’t have been more than three or four.

“She’s Millie,” Emily said. “Mister Bear took her from where she lived before. She didn’t like it there, but Mister Bear’s place was worst.”

“Well she’ll be safe here.”

Dee spun around so fast he almost fell over, his legs still weak and shaky, and his heart pounding. “Mother!” He hadn’t heard her come into the room.

The elderly nun smiled up at him. “What you did was very brave, Dee. Thank you. I don’t pretend to understand what just happened, but I don’t doubt you saved the lives of these children.”

“I just hope I didn’t leave any behind in that place, because I think I just destroyed the only means of gettin’ there.”

“You did what was necessary. If it means no more children will ever have to go through what these three have, then that’s all that matters. Now, why don’t you go and get cleaned up? I’ll take these three for a bath. Come along, dears.” Smiling gently, Mother held out her hands to Josie and Emily, who took them, scrambling to their feet, Millie still clinging tightly to Emily’s other hand. It didn’t look like she’d be letting go anytime soon. “A nice bath with lots of bubbles, clean clothes, then warm milk and cookies. How does that sound?”

Tentative smiles greeted her proposal as she led the children towards the dormitory door.

“I think I’m envious. Wouldn’t mind a hot bath myself,” Dee muttered, shambling in the other direction towards the small bathroom at the end of the dorm. No bathtub there, just a couple of toilets and washbasins, but all Dee needed was hot water, soap, and a towel; that would have to do him for the moment, there were still things to do.

When he came back into the dorm ten minutes later, stripped to the waist and drying himself with a pink towel decorated with white bunnies, Ryo was just sweeping up the last scraps of Mister Bear and depositing them in a plastic trash bin.

“You can add this for burnin’.” Dee dropped his shirt on the top. “Doubt I’d ever get the slime and the smell out. Same with the kids’ nightwear.”

“My jeans too.” Wrinkling his nose Ryo looked down at his legs, and the dark, greasy stains running from his knees to halfway down his shins from where he’d knelt on the bear. “I’d have taken them off already if I’d had something to change into.”

“Yeah, forgot to tell ya, I went by the apartment and picked us up a change of clothes while I was out earlier; figured we might need ‘em what with stayin’ here all night. I’ll go get ‘em soon as we’ve dealt with all this.”

“That would be good.”

Dee studied his lover carefully. “You okay, babe?”

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?”

Brushing the question off with a shrug, Dee gave a lopsided smile. “I’ve dealt with weird shit before; you haven’t. So, how’re ya doin’?”

“I don’t honestly know. Everything I thought I knew…” Ryo trailed off, shaking his head. “I keep expecting to wake up and find all this was just a really bad dream, but it doesn’t feel like a dream. It’s too real.”

“Yeah, I know what ya mean.”

“Dee, what’re we going to tell Cavallo and Burnett? I mean, you got the kids back but they’ll never believe you went through some kind of portal into another world, or dimension, or something to rescue them. It sounds like the plot of a bad science fiction movie!”

“More like a horror movie if ya ask me.”

“Well, yes, but it’s still not the kind of explanation anyone can put in a report and not expect to be hauled away in a straitjacket.”

“Don’t worry about it. I recorded the footage from the spy cameras on the laptop; picture quality isn’t great, but it still shows that damned bear walkin’ by itself,” Dee told his partner. “They’re gonna have to accept the truth once they see that.”

“Maybe. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, and when that arm came out, and then you followed it into the bear…” Ryo looked at Dee helplessly. “I never believed in the supernatural, but now I’m not sure what to believe. It’s all just so crazy!”

“I know, and you didn’t see the half of it. C’mon, let’s take this,” Dee nudged the trash bin with the toe of his shoe, “outside and burn the contents before anyone shows up wantin’ to hang on to it for evidence. I’m not gonna be happy until there’s nothin’ left but ashes; don’t want to leave any chance for it to somehow come back to life.”

“Yeah, and then someone should probably scrub the floor, just to make sure I didn’t miss anything. Even so, it might be quite a while before the girls feel safe sleeping in here. They’re probably going to have nightmares; I’m pretty sure I will.”

“Join the club.” Dee smiled wryly. “Nightmares kinda go with the territory.”

Ryo smiled back. “You couldn’t have warned me about that before?”

“Darn, must’ve slipped my mind.”

“You must be getting old.” The good-natured teasing was helping to put Ryo back on a more even keel.

“Hey, no call for insults!!” Stooping, Dee snagged the trash bin and started towards the door. “Y’know, for the first time in a long time I’m wishin’ I hadn’t given up smokin’.”

Ryo fell into step beside his lover. “Feeling the need for something to take the edge off?” He could sympathise with that; he could use a stiff drink.

“Nah, nothin’ like that; I just would’a had my lighter with me. As it is, I’ll haveta see if Mother’s got any matches, and some kerosene or somethin’; I want to get a really good blaze goin’, make Mister Bear’s remains nice and toasty.” Dee dug his car keys from his pocket with his free hand and passed them to his lover. “Go get the bag from the trunk; I’ll see what else I can find for burnin’ while you get cleaned up and changed. Your pants look kinda gross with all that oily stuff soakin’ in.”

“Imagine how it feels.” 

“I’m tryin’ not to, thanks. Grapplin’ with that arm was bad enough.”

“Not sure I could’ve done that.” Taking the keys, Ryo headed down the stairs, wondering if he could borrow a scrubbing brush and strong disinfectant from Mother. He had no idea what he’d been kneeling in while keeping Mister Bear pinned down, and to be honest he didn’t want to know, he just wanted to get it off his skin.

OoOoOoO

Half an hour later, everyone was gathered outside, including the three rescued children, now bathed and dressed in clean, warm nightwear and wrapped in blankets, watching as Mister Bear’s remains burned in an old metal drum Dee had dragged up from the basement to serve as an incinerator. It was quite a merry blaze, although Dee wouldn’t have wanted to toast marshmallows over it. The greenish tinge to the flames was a bit off-putting, but at least there hadn’t been any difficulty getting the bear’s remains to burn, along with various contaminated articles of clothing.

Dee and Ryo stood side by side, Tammy between them, holding Dee’s hand.

“Is Mister Bear gone now?” the little girl asked.

“Yep, he’s gone, kiddo, and he’s never comin’ back. You’re safe now.” Dee looked around at the other children, smiling reassuringly. “You’re all safe.” Under his breath he prayed that he was right, and that there weren’t any other warped stuffed animals out there somewhere, waiting to take Mister Bear’s place as a portal into a world that shouldn’t exist.

A short distance away, Detectives Cavallo and Burnett stood watching; they’d viewed the footage Dee had recorded with the spy cameras, and had even examined the floor in the dormitory before one of the Sisters had given it a thorough scrubbing. Now, as the official investigators on the case, they were left with the problem of what to write in their reports. One thing was for sure; this case wasn’t going to make their reputations. Destroy them maybe, if word got out that the kidnappings were believed to be the work of an evil soft toy; they’d never live that down. In the morning they’d talk to their boss, show him the footage, let him decide what to do about it, and then hopefully they could put the case to bed. The kids were safe, the culprit was… deceased, end of story.

It would have been nice if they could have dismissed what they’d been shown as fake, but they’d talked to the rescued kids, to Laytner and Maclean, to Mother Maria Lane, and seen the same haunted look in all their eyes, the look of people who’d seen and experienced something they wished they could forget but probably never would.

Evil came in many forms, and cops had to witness a lot of it in the course of their work, but usually it was perpetrated by humans; this was something else, something that couldn’t be explained in any rational way. It still wasn’t clear where the unnatural teddy bear had come from, whether it had deliberately been inflicted on the orphanage, whether there was someone out there who could ultimately be held responsible. In the end, despite investigating the case to the best of their ability, the two detectives were left with more questions than answers. Cavallo had the feeling they weren’t the only ones.

At last the fire burned out, leaving nothing but some greasy ashes, and Mother Lane, along with her assistants, shooed the children back indoors and to bed for what was left of the night. 

Dee and Ryo paused in front of the other detectives.

“Still wish we’d stayed out of it?” There was no heat in Dee’s words, just mild curiosity.

Cavallo shook his head. “Mostly I wish we had.”

“Been havin’ that same thought myself, but I couldn’t walk away, not with Mother and the kids involved.”

“I get that, but how’d you know what to do?”

“Didn’t.” Dee shrugged. “All we had to go on was one little girl’s nightmare. Hell, even my partner thought I was clutchin’ at straws. Can’t say I was sure he was wrong, but… I had a weird case once before, back in my uniform days; guess it made me willin’ to entertain all possibilities, no matter how crazy. Some things ya just gotta take on faith, and I got plenty of that.”

“That’s more than I do after tonight,” Cavallo admitted.

“I wouldn’t be too sure.” Dee slapped the other man on the shoulder. “You haven’t run screamin’ for the hills.”

“Not yet; there’s still time.”

“Good luck explainin’ all this to your boss; I think you’re gonna need it. I’m just really glad I don’t haveta write the report on this one.”

“Don’t remind me. Now I really might run for the hills.”

“Nah, I don’t think so; you’re too good a cop. Maybe we’ll see you guys around.”

Cavallo nodded. “Maybe I’ll even buy ya both a drink.”

“Now that’s an offer we wouldn’t turn down.”

As Cavallo and Burnett headed for their car, Dee followed, Ryo into the orphanage.

“You’re bein’ kinda quiet.”

“Still trying to wrap my head around everything. The past few hours have been…” Ryo trailed off, shaking his head.

“Weird? Bizarre? Crazy? Impossible? Unbelievable?”

“How about all of the above?”

“Yeah, guess that does just about cover it.” Dee stopped and pulled his lover into his arms. “Thank you.”

“What for?”

“Stickin’ with me through all the crazy, keepin’ me from gettin’ dragged all the way into that place. Never would’ve gotten out without ya.” Dee drew back a little. “How’re your hands?”

“Sore, a little bruised. I’ll live.”

“Glad to hear it. So will I, and the kids, thanks to you. You were our lifeline.”

“Told you before, I’ve always got your back, no matter what.”

“Yeah, I know; wouldn’t want anyone else. Love you, baby.”

“Love you too, Dee.”

They stood there for a long moment, arms around each other, until Ryo finally spoke again.

“I’m never going to look at teddy bears the same way again.”

Dee huffed a laugh. “I hear ya. Gimme human criminals every time; they’re a whole lot easier to handle.”

The End


End file.
